Shamelessly using travel footage to give advice 🤣🤷🏾‍♀️ During mentorship calls, I ALWAYS ask about how much a student has networked. The answer is usually “I’ve gotten lots of faculty members business cards at conferences!” Hate to break it to you but acquiring contact information is NOT networking! Contact info is only a tool to help you actually make connections. I always say, ✨the goal is to have people advocating for you at every residency program you’re applying to. ✨ That is a goal that is unlikely to be reached for the majority of people, but if it HASN’T been reached, you at least know how much further you need to push. You actually have to reach out, have an “ask”, schedule a meeting, take and follow any (reasonable) advice that is given, and then FOLLOW UP with that person multiple times over months to years to create relationships that will be helpful in the future. And don’t forget to make time for people who need YOUR help to get to where you are as well. Don’t be pissed that no one wants to help you if you won’t help anyone else, God don’t like ugly. ALSO!!! I don’t know who told y’all to go buy these fancy business cards and be passing them out to faculty at medical conferences UNPROVOKED. Save your money! If the faculty member ASKS you for your contact info or resume, you can hand out if you wish (email is almost always preferred to paper!) BUT only if they ask. Handing them your card without them asking makes it seem like you want THEM to reach out to YOU which comes off very cocky from a med student. Not to mention, your fancy card is getting tossed as soon as you walk away. Guaranteed. Hope this is helpful! What questions do you have? LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE with a friend who needs to know !!! Let’s get these residency spots! #residency #advice #medicalstudent #medicalschool #matchday2023 #mentorship #networking